It is reported that Charles Oakley's meltdown at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night [Feb. 8], was years in the making, as it involved Oakley unleashing pent-up frustration over his omission from festivities honoring 70-years of New York Knicks basketball.

Over the weekend, the Knicks commemorated their franchise's history with the third of six CHASE 70th Anniversary Nights, which have been planned to take place throughout the season. It was a good night for LeBron James, who became the youngest player to reach 28,000 points in the Cavs victory. But it was another bummer for the Knicks, who began a three-game skid with the loss. It must have also been a bitter night for Charles Oakley, who watched as he was again absent from programming for the commemorative event. That anger is what spilled over into the stands during the first quarter of the Knicks vs. Clippers game, New York Daily News reporter Frank Isola tweeted hours after the game.

"Charles Oakley was said to be yelling at (team owner) James Dolan and was warned to stop, according to a source. He continued and was then asked to leave," Isola says, continuing to claim that sources close to the organization confirm he "has been upset that the franchise, which is celebrating its 70th anniversary, haven't included him in any events."

Oakley has been at odds with Dolan since 2012 when he claimed to have been shunned during one of the Knicks' hiring periods. In Oakley's words, he had "cried and tried" to land a position with his former organization for years, and was never given the time of day. In 2015 tensions rose once again when Oakley reportedly reached out to Commissioner David Stern to help get a meeting between them, with Charles claiming that Dolan had ignored him during the All-Star Game.

Charles Oakley played ten years in New York, during a period of increasing success between the late 80's and early 90's. While he was a key contributor to a team that would eventually rival Michael Jordan's Bulls for the top of the Eastern Conference, he was known for stirring up trouble and being difficult to get along with. Oakley has stated that he isn't completely sure why he and Dolan fell out, from what he's heard the billionaire mogul once took exception to a statement he made in the press about him.

Doc Rivers played for the Knicks for the 1992-94 seasons. The Clippers Head Coach and President of Basketball Operations spoke of hurting as he watched his former teammate being taken down and cuffed in the arena's tunnel. "It's sad. That was tough for me to watch," he said, of watching as the pushing and shoving escalated to him having to be restrained and escorted off by 15 security guards. "Honest to God, you can see I actually took three steps. I swear I was going to run down there."

Oakley was detained and later released from Midtown South police station at around midnight. He has been charged with three counts of misdemeanor assault and one count of criminal trespass.

Source: larrybrownsports.com